Home/Episodes/Ace Ventura: Pet Detective

‘Ace Ventura: Pet Detective’ With Bill Simmons, Zach Lowe, and Craig Horlbeck

February 10, 2026 · Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994) · Comedy · 1:48:07 · ▶ Listen on Spotify

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Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill SimmonsJim Carrey's salary progression: $350k for Ace Ventura, $450k for The Mask, $7M for Dumb and Dumber, $10M for Ace Ventura 2, $20M for The Cable Guy▶ 9:29
Craig HorlbeckMorgan Creek Productions CEO Jim Robinson said 'make a film that nobody my age gets'; the movie was completely panned by critics like Ebert▶ 10:06
Zach LoweJim Carrey was paid less than half a million for Ace Ventura (from Ringer or Vulture story); The Cable Guy broke Hollywood with Tom Cruise-level money for making faces▶ 9:24

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Craig HorlbeckHow did she pretend her character to be into this psychopath basically? How could Courtney Cox's character believably be attracted to Jim Carrey's weird Ace Ventura character▶ 27:31

Horlbeck Runtime Scale

Bill SimmonsPlus 14 on the Horlbeck scale▶ 35:04
Craig Horlbeck86 minutes is perfect length - doesn't feel too short and has everything you want▶ 35:16

Great Shot Gordo Award

Bill SimmonsThe scene with all the pets coming out (raccoon from toilet, penguins from fridge, etc.)▶ 40:44

What's Aged the Worst

Bill SimmonsStar Trek impressions and Jim Carrey's intro to the credits song where he says 'put that big ass size 13 on and kick it for the homies'▶ 1:06:55
Craig HorlbeckThe ending credits song with Jim Carrey's intro and professional sports teams having live animal mascots▶ 1:09:06
Zach LoweSome of the big scripted jokes are flat out not funny, like talking out of the ass and the Tex Cobb mirror joke▶ 1:07:46

Overacting Award

Bill SimmonsSean YoungSean Young - specifically her final warehouse scene performance where she's convulsing and shaking▶ 1:12:48
Craig HorlbeckSean YoungDescribed Sean Young's warehouse scene performance as psychotic breakdown with twitching, sweating and shaking▶ 1:12:58
Zach LoweSean YoungDiscussed Mark Ruffalo's head-smacking scene and agreed about Sean Young's bizarre warehouse performance being like a seizure▶ 1:12:09

Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Bill SimmonsJim Carrey should have gotten an Oscar nomination for this role▶ 1:14:03
Bill SimmonsDan Marino in Ace Ventura is the fourth best athlete playing himself cameo of all time▶ 1:16:16
Craig HorlbeckSupports Jim Carrey Oscar nomination - argues his performance is irreplaceable and nobody else could do what he did while making $100 million▶ 1:14:09
Zach LoweInitially offered takes about big jokes and Courtney Cox being bland, but Bill deemed these not hot enough▶ 1:13:42

Casting What-Ifs

Bill SimmonsRick MoranisLists Rick Moranis (declined), Lauren Howie turned down Courtney Cox's role, Daniel Stern was supposed to direct, Judd Nelson considered; believes Rick Moranis casting could have happened but skeptical of some internet claims▶ 1:19:22
Craig HorlbeckSays the entire cast and what-ifs for Ace Ventura belongs in 'what's aged the worst' category▶ 1:19:26
Zach LoweAlan RickmanMentions Whoopi Goldberg and David Algarve turned it down, skeptical of Judd Nelson and Alan Rickman claims saying they feel made up by the internet; can't imagine Alan Rickman in this movie▶ 1:19:31

Is This Movie Better With

Bill SimmonsTom ThibodeauMentions standard options (Wayne Jenkins, Fergie the Florist, A Million People) and proposes Tom Thibodeau as a basketball-themed option for Zach▶ 1:39:58
Zach LoweTom ThibodeauTom Thibodeau could be one of the henchmen at the end▶ 1:40:22

Memorabilia Award

Bill SimmonsThe Collier County Home to Ray Stinkle sign▶ 1:44:00
Craig HorlbeckThe ring or any of the 90s Dolphins memorabilia▶ 1:43:54
Zach LoweRay Finkel's ring with the missing stone, die-dan-die crocheted coasters, notebook with 'laces out' scrawled on it, or the mannequin with Merino jersey and knife in heart▶ 1:43:30

Coach Finstock Life Lesson

Zach LoweYou can be an absolute dick to this beautiful woman and still end up with her in the end (worst life lesson)▶ 1:44:41

Best Double Feature

Who Won the Movie

Bill SimmonsJim CarreySuggested Jim Carrey but immediately moved to other topics▶ 1:45:23

Movies Referenced (52)

Title (year)LinksMentionsMentioned byFirst
Dumb and Dumber (1994)IMDb ↗Lb ↗12Bill Simmons, Craig Horlbeck, Zach Lowe▶ 8:17
Carrie (1976)IMDb ↗Lb ↗9Bill Simmons, Craig Horlbeck, Zach Lowe▶ 3:46
The Ring (2002)IMDb ↗Lb ↗8Bill Simmons, Craig Horlbeck, Zach Lowe▶ 47:05
The Mask (1994)IMDb ↗Lb ↗5Bill Simmons, Zach Lowe▶ 8:17
Forrest Gump (1994)IMDb ↗Lb ↗4Bill Simmons, Craig Horlbeck▶ 21:32
Star Trek (2009)IMDb ↗Lb ↗4Bill Simmons, Zach Lowe▶ 42:49
Pulp Fiction (1994)IMDb ↗Lb ↗3Bill Simmons, Craig Horlbeck▶ 21:32
Tommy Boy (1995)IMDb ↗Lb ↗3Bill Simmons, Craig Horlbeck▶ 12:54
Zoolander (2001)IMDb ↗Lb ↗3Zach Lowe, Bill Simmons▶ 18:40
Happy Gilmore (1996)IMDb ↗Lb ↗2Craig Horlbeck▶ 17:39
Rushmore (1998)IMDb ↗Lb ↗2Bill Simmons▶ 1:16:45
Scream (1996)IMDb ↗Lb ↗2Bill Simmons▶ 1:28:45

Directors Referenced (5)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
Alvaro CajalIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Bill SimmonsGuardians of the Galaxy▶ 1:46:44
Clint EastwoodIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Bill SimmonsMillion Dollar Baby, Gran Torino, Unforgiven▶ 5:44
John ColoradoIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Craig HorlbeckHancock▶ 1:10:10
Kevin CostnerIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Bill SimmonsDances with Wolves, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves▶ 34:13
Paul BellanyIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Bill SimmonsStardust▶ 1:59

Actors Referenced (81)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
Dan MarinoIMDb ↗Lb ↗36Bill Simmons, Craig Horlbeck, Zach LoweAce Ventura: Pet Detective, Any Given Sunday▶ 36:20
Jim CarreyIMDb ↗Lb ↗32Bill Simmons, Craig Horlbeck, Zach LoweAce Ventura: Pet Detective, Bruce Almighty, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind▶ 3:21
Jennifer AnistonIMDb ↗Lb ↗12Bill Simmons, Craig Horlbeck, Zach LoweWe're the Millers▶ 30:41
Sean YoungIMDb ↗Lb ↗11Bill Simmons, Zach Lowe, Craig HorlbeckBlade Runner 2049, Dune, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective▶ 34:08
Tom HanksIMDb ↗Lb ↗10Zach Lowe, Bill Simmons, Craig HorlbeckCast Away, Big, Forrest Gump▶ 1:14:25
Luke WilsonIMDb ↗Lb ↗6Bill Simmons, Zach LoweOld School, The Royal Tenenbaums▶ 1:13:32
Tom CruiseIMDb ↗Lb ↗6Zach Lowe, Craig Horlbeck, Bill SimmonsTop Gun, Minority Report▶ 9:40
Jerry SeinfeldIMDb ↗Lb ↗5Bill Simmons, Craig Horlbeck▶ 29:52
Lauren HuttonIMDb ↗Lb ↗5Bill Simmons, Zach LoweAmerican Gigolo▶ 6:09
LeBron JamesIMDb ↗Lb ↗5Bill Simmons▶ 32:26
Alan RickmanIMDb ↗Lb ↗4Zach Lowe, Bill SimmonsDie Hard, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves▶ 1:19:49
Will FerrellIMDb ↗Lb ↗4Bill Simmons, Zach LoweTalladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Blades of Glory▶ 7:37

Writers Referenced (6)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
Roger EbertIMDb ↗Lb ↗10Bill Simmons, Zach Lowe, Craig Horlbeck▶ 10:10
David LettermanIMDb ↗Lb ↗4Bill Simmons, Zach Lowe▶ 5:20
Jack BernsteinIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Zach LoweAce Ventura: Pet Detective▶ 48:06
Judd ApatowIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Craig HorlbeckThe King of Staten Island, Knocked Up▶ 19:11
Patch AdamsIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Bill SimmonsPatch Adams▶ 47:31
Tom HollandIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Bill SimmonsChild's Play▶ 1:15:43